


Backbone

by BlackRoseShiori



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-29
Updated: 2018-06-29
Packaged: 2019-05-30 10:48:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15095129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackRoseShiori/pseuds/BlackRoseShiori
Summary: Emma teaches Elsa how to drive a car. Originally written on October 22, 2014.





	Backbone

**Author's Note:**

> Just a short piece from my LJ days! I've always felt that Emma got cheated out of a best friend when Elsa left. I have no idea why it's called "Backbone" but that's how I have it on LJ, so I'm rolling with it.

Elsa had no idea what a car was, no idea how to operate one, and yet Emma Swan had insisted upon it.

“You need to know these things,” the Sheriff had said as she’d loaded the Queen of Arendelle into a bright yellow contraption that put Elsa in mine of some kind of beetle.

“But why?” Elsa asked once more, as Emma strapped her in and there was a metal click that told Elsa there would be no escape.

“Because,” Emma continued as she climbed into the passenger seat and strapped herself in. “You didn’t come over with the curse so, unfortunately, you need to learn some of these things the hard way. Driving could come in handy when we find your sister. It gets you places much faster than walking, that’s for sure.”

Elsa appreciated that the Sheriff had said “when” they find her sister. Elsa gave her new friend a small, hopeful smile. There had been no sign of Anna, but if there were, Elsa would definitely like to be able to reach her quickly.

“You know,” Elsa began as Emma instructed her to turn the key and start the vehicle, “I’d normally just create an ice trail and slide around to get where I need to be. Or an ice staircase. Something like that.”

Emma started at her, slightly aghast. “Really, you can make an ice staircase?”

Elsa beamed at her. “If we ever get back, maybe you can come visit Arendelle and I’ll show you my ice palace!”

Emma didn’t even have time to compute “ice palace” before Elsa had accidentally stomped on the gas pedal, propelling them forward at high velocities.

“Sorry, sorry!” Elsa exclaimed, stomping hard on the brake and causing the yellow bug to skid on Main St.

Emma was holding tightly to the oh-shit bar, her eyes wide. “It’s…um…okay,” she finally said. “Just try again, and more gently this time.

This time, Elsa barely pressed the gas pedal, and they accelerated at a much more acceptable speed.

“Good, that’s it!” Emma encouraged her. “Now, you have to stay on the right side of the road. See those lines there? You have to always be on the right side or you’ll be heading into traffic.”

They slowly pulled up to a stop sign and Elsa asked, “Shall I stop at that sign that says stop? Is that sign for me, or someone else?”

Emma laughed. “No, you’re right, you stop at the sign. You have to look both ways to make sure no other cars are coming before you can turn or cross an intersection. Whenever you see road signs like that, you have to follow what they say.”

Elsa nodded. That rule made sense.

She checked both ways, then slowly made a right turn.

“You can go a little faster,” Emma assured her, so Elsa placed slightly more pressure on the gas pedal.

They shot forward once more. Elsa screamed and slammed on the brake.

“Too much!” Emma commented, unhelpfully.

Elsa gave an awkward laugh to cover up her discomfort. She had noticed, though Emma had not, that snowflakes were beginning to float around the inside of the car.

Clearing her throat and giving her full focus to the road, Elsa tried again. This time, they began cruising at a comfortable speed, and Emma visibly relaxed.

“Emma,” Elsa said after a moment of companionable silence, “Do you think we’ll ever find Anna?”

Emma nodded. “We’ll find your sister. No worries. Emma Swan always gets her man. Or princess. Whatever.”

Elsa smiled broadly at that. It was hard not knowing what had become of her sister. It was hard having pieces of her memory completely missing. But she had come to trust Emma Swan, as well as Emma’s royal parents.

Somehow, Elsa knew she would get through this the way she had always overcome everything in her life thus far. With fierce determination, and love.

But first, she had to master driving a car.


End file.
